Thread: Pigs and dogs...

Was loading up an order on Meatbox.co.nz and decided I have to get my hunting ass in gear.

I've seen it said that you need dogs to reliably get pigs. Is this true? How much of a mission without dogs?

(I warned you I was gonna be asking noob questions...)

Originally Posted by davetapson

Was loading up an order on Meatbox.co.nz and decided I have to get my hunting ass in gear.

I've seen it said that you need dogs to reliably get pigs. Is this true? How much of a mission without dogs?

(I warned you I was gonna be asking noob questions...)

Its pretty tuff without dogs hardly see them out & about during the day but its not impossible to target pig,s & shoot them , your best bet would be along the lines of what we used to do , shoot a dozen goats or collect up a bunch of dead ewes (this time of year is perfect for it with plenty of dead over lambing ) drive up the local forest dump them off in two,s in likely spots that no one else will easily find , give it 3 or 4 days & have a look at which one,s have had pigs at or around them , collect a few more dead animals toss them on the plie that's getting visited , gets quite exciting looking at all the different marks around the plies now & then a real big bugger will turn up , we had dogs but there's nothing to stop you doing similar & parking up watching , only other alternative could be a pig trap .

I have shot a couple pigs but like you I don't have dogs, so I generally don't target them as mentioned you rarely come across them and when you do it's by chance.
Don't get me wrong when I do come across them they get the medicine.

Ive shot quite a few but unless you bati and trail cam it like boraxa says its hit n miss. Having said that i have had several deer hunts interupted by pigs wandering around at odd hours.
A trail cam is really indespensible if you are baiting. Pigs are creatures of habit and although the really big smart ones usually only come out late at night have a scoff and bugger off for several days digesting the little ones and sows are more likely to show up at any time.
Know when, get there early and you will rarely be disappointed.
Dogs may catch more but often when you get there its been extensively "tenderised" at least if you shoot them you get more to eat.

I've seen a few pigs while out and about. First animal I ever got was a young boar at 3 in the afternoon along a riverbed. Pigs are my prize animal but they are hard and it's generally by chance but is possible

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As above, pretty hit & miss without dogs. Over about 25 years of deer hunting I've only shot 7-8 pigs whist out with my rifle (looking for deer). I've only been "proper" pig hunting with dogs on two days in my entire life and there were two pigs killed on each trip...

Yep as Boaraxa says, you will probably have to bait and area and go back on dusk and dawn and stalk up on the spot. If only using 1 or 2 animals as bait, I would tie them to a fence or something so it can't be dragged off into the bush.

It all depends on the type of country you hunt we shoot all of the pigs now that we hunt. Sit up on the hill and glass and glass until we see them. If u are in an area that has sign and is slightly open u will pick them up.

I shoot the odd one while out after deer or wallabies. sometimes you are just in the right place at right time...sitting and glassing likely areas (warm.wet.lots of tucker.close to cover) is a good bet.saw 12 the other day on big station,managed to stalk INSIDE a mob and managed to shoot one as it took off,pretty hard to see them in thick matagouri up close,in hindsight I wouldve been better to sit back and wait for them to move out. my indicating dog has led me right up to them sleeping,and come to think of it my old bitch led me into another years back that we could hear grunting and carrying on. they are great eating so well worth the effort to pursue....and you dont NEED the whole carcass on your back other than for the skite photo...put it down and cut it up...skin and bone is heavy. sure take hams out whole,but back steaks,eye fillets and bone out the front end. your back and knees will thank you in 30 years time.

https://youtu.be/g1ibU10JnsQ